HAVE you ever wondered how Hollywood pip-squeaks transform into big-screen powerhouses in just a few months?

Or, if you’re a movie buff like me, maybe you’ve recently wondered about the following: How did Mark Wahlberg get ripped to play boxer “Irish” Micky Ward in The Fighter? What does Jason Statham do to stay jacked up and stay in top physical condition?How did Chris Hemsworth pack on 10 kilograms of muscle to play Thor?

As I studied the workouts these actors followed, I did not discover any breakthrough training protocol or super-fancy nutrition formula.

The most common workout theme was brief, frequent and intense workouts from a variety of training styles. Not much was noted about nutrition, but I would assume that each meal was protein- and vegetable-based, with complex carbohydrates tailored around the individual’s metabolism and goal.

If the actor was not gaining muscle weight, I would assume that extra tablespoons of healthy fats (like nuts and nut butters) were added to his diet. Overall, I noticed more lessons that are applicable to the majority of us, rather than the minority. I’ve summarised your take-home lesson with each point.

Take-home point: Put something at stake. Join a transformation contest. Make a bet. Donate a certain amount of money to an organisation you dislike if you don’t achieve your goal. Get some blood in the game.

2. Set a deadline and announce it

Actors are working against non-negotiable deadlines. I’ve always preached that goals without deadlines are dreams.

Take-home point: Set a deadline and announce it to people you don’t want to disappoint.

3. Plan According To Workload

Actors can recover faster than individuals with demanding jobs or those working toward a degree. Actors are paid to know their lines and look the part, so their day can revolve around training and eating. They can also take more frequent naps, a key to body transformation. What a life!

Take-home point: Plan your more aggressive training cycles during periods of the year when your work is less stressful.

4. Don’t compare your results to those of others

Many actors who transform from sissy boys to superheroes are rather thin, carry very little muscle to start with and are blessed with faster-than-average metabolisms.

This means they have a greater potential for change than an individual who has four years of intense training. If they were to start the same program at the same time, a beginner weightlifter will always gain more muscle than an advanced weightlifter.

This happens because beginners' bodies tend to adapt and respond efficiently to a brand-new stimulus, since they are starting further from their genetic ceiling. The more your muscles are forced to adapt, the more they grow (think Taylor Lautner).

Actors typically have a generous 12 to 16 weeks to build muscle and burn fat. Over a course of 16 weeks, it’s not uncommon to burn at least 12 or more kilograms of blubber to create the illusion of gaining 10 or more kilograms of muscle if everything is done effectively.

Most of our superheroes are not wearing a Speedo, so they can prioritise their training to the muscle groups that give the illusion of size and power.

For example, a built upper clavicular area (the upper chest, traps and shoulders) gives the appearance of size and power. Other body parts that show strength are biceps, upper back and ripped abs.

So throughout your contest prep, these areas should be prioritised. Since the body has a limited capacity to adapt to stress, the actor’s recovery resources can be dedicated to these body parts so that he will look more muscular in those desired areas.

Although this is not an ideal long-term plan, volume could be reduced in the lower body to set up the potential for more upper body mass.

Take-home point: Dedicate periods of the year to your slow-to-grow body parts to improve your body’s symmetry and proportion.

7. Target Your Ideal Body Percentage

Why is it so important to focus on the illusion muscles? Consider a fitness model show. Do you ever wonder why professional fitness models look so big on stage (or on covers) but when they stand beside you they resemble a rather average-looking individual? It’s because most male fitness models have 31- to 32-inch (79cm -81cm) waists (and weigh between 75 to 85 kilograms) that create the illusion of broad shoulders.

When competing at the 2011 WBFF World Championships, I couldn’t compete with the top competitors because I have a 34-inch waist, making it harder for my shoulders to jump at you.

In short, if I was casting for the next Hollywood action hero, I would cast an individual with a tiny waist. Our superheroes are lean enough - I say "enough" because none of them are boasting body fat percentages (like four per cent to five per cent) that could grace a stage. Going much lower than 10 per cent can lead to muscle loss, drop in performance and a gaunt look. My definition of lean is 10 per cent body fat. At six per cent to nine per cent, you’re ripped. At five per cent or less, you’re shredded. So why 10 per cent and not 13 per cent?

Take-home point: Give yourself permission to be light. If your goal is to be 90 kilograms, but you look better at 85 kilograms, who cares?

8. The Lean Threshold

Enter the Lean Threshold. This applies to both men and women, but we’ll use a man as an example. The Lean Threshold suggests that at certain body fat levels a man will look the same.

This means that if a man is 13 per cent to 18 per cent body fat, then you will not be able to distinguish the difference. Ten percent body fat for a man is very lean; 18 per cent or more for a man is fat. If a man is under 10 per cent fat or over 18 per cent fat, then you’ll clearly be able to tell if he’s “lean” or “fat.” Anything in between is very vague, and it is very hard to notice the differences.

So what does this mean for you? If you truly want your physique to stand out, you need to get out of the “vague” zone and dial in 10 per cent body fat. The equivalent of 10 per cent body fat for a male is about 15 per cent fat for a female.

The law of specificity! This law states that the specific nature of a training load produces its own specific response adaptations. The training load must be specific to both the individual and to the demands of their chosen event. In short, this concept basically enforces this: “You get what you train for.”

Another way to say this is: If you want to become a better boxer, box. If you want to become a better cyclist, cycle. If you want to look more like a power lifter, train like a power lifter. If you study Mark Wahlberg’s workout for The Fighter, you’ll see that his coach, Bo Cleary, had him doing three-minute rounds of shadow boxing, punching the speedball, pad work, rope skipping, and speed bag.

Emulate the six-pack ab workout that personal trainer Jordan Yuam designed for Taylor Lautner, and you’ll be doing a lot of direct ab work, like a freaky-looking fitness model. Looking to become another gladiator in Spartacus? Get ready to spend four hours every day training like a gladiator: weapon moves, combat skills, circuit training, sprints, and team games like tug-of-war.

It’s neat to see how this group training reinforces a pack mentality, which is necessary to survive in the brutal Coliseum. The gladiators don’t train just for size and power but for agility, speed and strength, and a mindset to win. In short, if you train like a gladiator, you’re going to look like a gladiator.

Take home point: Is your workout designed to help you in the field you’re in or achieve the look you’re after?

The Final Word

The biggest lesson we can learn is that actors know their end outcome, whether it be a gladiator, boxer, superhero, or tough guy.

They have a crystal-clear vision of how they must look, feel and perform, and their training is dedicated to that goal.

They avoid goal hijacking and program hopping, which reminds us of the popular quote “The best program is the one that you follow.”

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